Aside from a sunburned nose and pee-stained fur on his legs, Chuckie the Jack Russell Terrier is a happy and healthy dog, this according to the staff from the Cambridge and District Humane Society.

Nicknamed Chuckie by the staff, the dog was apparently found by a Cambridge family last Thursday morning along highway 97, placed inside a metal wire cage all alone by the side of the road. Because the cage was placed near a clump of trees, other cars were unable to spot the dog.

Fortunately for Chuckie, one family eventually found him after catching a glimpse of the crate and what was inside it. This is what they told Tracy Laraway, a Cambridge animal cruelty prevention agent.

Laraway says that the family thought something wasn’t right with the crate, so they made a U turn to check. After rescuing the Terrier, they immediately brought him to the Cambridge shelter.

Upon receiving the dog, the staff remarked that he’s very lucky to have survived at all. The sunburn on his nose suggests that he might’ve been left there for quite some time. Aside from being exposed to the bare elements, Chuckie had no food or water in his cage.

The shelter expects to receive a barrage of requests to adopt Chuckie, but first they want to learn why he was left all alone there in the first place.

A school in the City of Cambridge is set to become a prime example for effective energy conservation and education, if a proposal to install solar panels on its roof pushes through.

The Waterloo Region District School Board is currently producing feasibility studies and other estimates in the hopes of getting grants from the Ontario Ministry of Education for the mounting of solar panels in 5 of the region’s schools.

Cambridge is the location for one of the sites, but according to Ron Dallan, manager of capital projects, the school to receive the panels will be kept a close secret until the district receives official instructions from the Ministry of Education.

But the excitement he and the board feels however, is something they can’t hide. Cambridge’s residents are also very enthusiastic to represent the benefits and advantages of using cleaner and greener sources of energy.

Dallan said that the use of these solar panels would definitely help in reducing energy costs and consumption at the district, but the initiative wouldn’t be considered as a real moneymaker.

Nevertheless, the benefits of harnessing the power of the sun are not to be ignored, and the educational activities that could arise from the installation of the panels will be priceless to students, he added.

The Animal Hospital of Cambridge’s team of veterenarians have an important goal, and that’s to save one animal each day. The animal hospital was created to rescue orphaned animals and pets suffering from serious medical problems. Just recently, they’ve expanded their space to better accommodate the large number of dogs, cats, and other pets they rescue on a daily basis.

According to Dr. Kathy Hrinivich, one of the hospital’s in-house vets, helping pets is vital task for the hospital, especially since these animals have no voice of their own.

The Animal Hospital of Cambridge is widely regarded as a safe haven for orphaned pets and recuperating animals. Those that are about to euthanized are also welcome at the hospital; in fact, they receive animals from other humane societies and shelters that no longer have any space to keep them.

This is a far better fate than being put down – animal rights groups estimate that some 160 cats are euthanized each week because no one can look after them.

The population of feral cats is a particular problem for the country, the hospital’s veterinarians pointed out. The hospital is encouraging the public to capture strays if they can, and bring them to the hospital to have them spayed to keep them from reproducing.

They may be children, but kids from Cambridge YMCA child care centers all over the city understand the importance of lending a helping hand to those in need. Hundreds of these kids are working from the sidelines to help other less fortunate children get the same opportunities they enjoy at YMCA.

Whether it’s day care with other kids or even just swimming lessons, every child deserves the opportunity to enjoy these activities that some of us sadly take for granted.  Little volunteers from YMCA’s child centers are currently doing chores for some spare change, collecting what they get in piggy banks and donating all of them to this year’s YMCA Strong Kids Campaign.

The goal this year? To raise $235,000, a significantly higher amount than the $200,000 they raised last year.

According to Alice Michaud, YMCA’s director for financial development, the need for children’s services in Windsor has risen over the past year, prompting them to increase the fundraiser’s goal for 2010. With the recession’s effects still felt today, she thinks the need for these services will rise even more over the next few months.

You and your family can also do your part. Read more about the YMCA of Cambridge’s Strong Kids Campaign by logging on to ymcastrongkids.ca.

Another weekend is upon us again and if you somehow missed this week’s newsmakers in the City of Cambridge, here’s a quick recap for you to read up on.

First off, the city’s Catholic schools as well as others in the Waterloo region were able to collect over $120,000 from their respective fundraising activities. Each student chipped in $5. Donations will be given to the survivors of the earthquake that struck Haiti last January, taking over 150,000 lives and destroying billions worth of property.

Meanwhile, the Cambridge Fury hockey team announced this week that they’ll be hosting a get-together for their fans. They’re having a sponsor night this evening at the Preston Auditorium, right before their game at 8 in the evening. If you’re a fan of the team, that’s something you definitely should not miss.

Residents in a Galt neighborhood can start to breathe a sigh of relief, as council finally received a report outlining the options to be taken in eradicating the mosquitoes pestering residents near the Portuguese Swamp in North Galt.

And finally, we featured some business that recently opened in Cambridge yesterday. If anything, these new stores and services are a clear sign that things are looking good for the city this year.

2010 looks to be a good year for the City of Cambridge, what with the number of businesses opening left and right in the region. We’ve compiled a short list of new businesses in the city for you to check out, read on.

Owned by Kane Rouse, Alpha Motorcycle Service And Sales Inc., is a store owned by Kane Rouse and his family. The store is open from 10 in the morning to 8 in the evening on weekdays, and 10 in the morning from 4 in the afternoon on Saturdays. The store has a new showroom displaying high-quality used motorcycles and parts.

Xpressions Beauty Supplies Inc., located on 366 Hespeler Road, is a supplier of beauty products and accessories to everyone in the public. The business also has great selections for professionals. Xpressions opened in November of last year.

Owned by Fred Hempstead, TNT Fitness specializes in both in-home and studio training. Hempstead and his team of trainers will do their best to help you lose weight with a specific type of exercise regiment. Live an active life in the comforts of your own home, without the crowds, noise, and pesky membership fees. TNT Fitness opened in January this year.

Pesky mosquitoes are currently pestering residents in a community in north Galt, Cambridge, and according to experts in the area, a backhoe and some hard work will be needed to eradicate them.

After a year of studying and research, City Council finally received a report that detailed the problems brought about by mosquitoes to those living in the vicinity of the Portuguese Swamp near Townline Road.

According to Dr. Fiona Hunter, a scientist from Entomogen Inc., there are over 64 species of mosquitoes in the area of the Portuguese Swamp. Less than 70 percent of those insects have an interest in humans, she added.

However, after investigating the swamp area last summer, Dr. Hunter found out that the mosquitoes that are causing problems aren’t even from the swamp. She and her time learned that the mosquitoes are breeding in the storm ponds situated around the swamp.

Dr. Hunter proposed the option of purchasing mosquito magnet machines which will be scattered throughout the neighborhood to eradicate the mosquitoes. The traps work by releasing carbon dioxide, which attracts the pests. They are then sucked into a net where they die due to dehydration. This is a very effective way of eliminating the pests she said, but it will however, be pricey.

Council is currently considering this option.

The City of Cambridge’s Main Street is up for some major streetscaping, and officials from the city are all ready to dish out $750,000 for the project.

Cambridge’s budget committee has recently approved the motion to take money from the funds to be used for the redevelopment of the riverbank area in Hespeler.

Furthermore, the remaining balance will be shouldered by the Harper government’s FEDDEV Ontario’s Community Adjustment Fund, which is responsible for providing funding for streetscaping projects and the like.

According to Jim King, chief administrative officer for Cambridge, Main Street had to receive funding for a streetscaping project due to one private developer’s investment plans. David Gibson plans to spend $5.5 million for the renovation of some 7 buildings in downtown Galt. The FEDDEV program’s promise to cover half of the overall cost was also a very encouraging factor, King added.

However, the project is not without its opponents. Councilor Pam Wolf voiced her opinion about the high cost of the development, and pointed out that $750,000 is too large an amount, especially during these tough economic times.

Cambridge Mayor Craig however, commented that an opportunity like this is very rare. If not now, then when? He asked.

The Region of Waterloo may be unable to fund Cambridge Memorial Hospital’s expansion project, but it’s still all systems go – at least that’s the way officials from the city see it.

At a recent budget meeting, councilors from Cambridge agreed to provide the hospital with funding worth $630,000 for their expansion plants. The money is so far the ninth installment in a series of “payments” to be made in a span of nine years, giving the hospital a total of $6.3 million.

But for Councilor Linda Whetham, she couldn’t keep herself from questioning the city’s decision to provide funding for the project, given how tight this year’s budget is. Furthermore, she pointed out the recent comments made by Premier Dalton McGuinty over the project’s future. The Premier hinted that the project might not go forward.

According to Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig however, the expansion will definitely push through after he received assurances from officials of the Ministry of Health.

He added that once the hospital has an operation plan ready, and Waterloo-Wellington Local Health Integration Network gives its approval, the project will commence immediately.

He went on to say that the next phase of the expansion will start anytime in the spring.

With only a week left to go before toy manufacturing giant Hasbro finalizes its design for the Canadian version of the game Monopoly, folks from Cambridge are scrambling to have the city featured on the popular board game.

Cities from all across Canada are presently “duking it out” for spots on the new Canadian Monopoly board, which will feature Canadian cities and towns instead of the usual street names.

Toy manufacturer Hasbro recently released a list of prospective cities to be considered for the board, and then announced on their website that people can vote for their chosen city and town that’s not on the list.

As of today, the City of Cambridge is sitting at the number 20 spot on the Wild Card list, which is comprised of cities not on Hasbro’s announced tally. For the city to be one of those considered for the Monopoly board, it has to make it into the top 10 no later than February 8, 2010.

In other words, Cambridge will be out of the running if votes don’t pick up in less than a week.

If you want to know more about the contest and help our city out, you can logon to www.cambridge.ca or www.monopolyvote.ca.